57 child labourers rescued in Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 11 (ANI): Authorities, during a raid on Thursday rescued about 57 children, who were working in factories in New Delhi.

The joint raid was conducted by the officials of the Labour Department and child rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) at the Garhi area in south Delhi.

"During surveillance, we (Labour Department) along with police, SDM (State District Magistrate) office, 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' (Save Childhood Campaign) and Delhi Child Labour Rehabilitation cum Welfare Society, have rescued 57 children from Garhi area, who were working in hazardous factories," said Om Prakash, an official of Labour Department, Government of India.

Most of the children were from Nepal, Bihar and West Bengal and were working for 12-13 hours per day. They were paid between rupees 50-100 a week.

Officials said that these children would be rehabilitated and the employer would be tried under stringent provisions of law.

"For the rehabilitation of these children, they'll be produced before CWC (Concerned for Working Children) officials, and they will send them to Women and Child Development homes. After that, they'll be handed over to their families," said Prakash added.

According to the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, about 500-600 child labourers have been rescued from New Delhi over the last four months.

Child rights activists said that India has failed to enforce a ban on child labour and there has not been a single conviction in the past three years since the law came into effect.

More than 12 million children below the age of 14 are working as domestic servants or in other jobs such as in stone quarries, embroidery units, mines, carpet-weaving units, tea stalls, restaurants and hotels, according to government data. (ANI)